


The Eternal Queen

by DarkSideoftheLoon



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Adventure, Broken TARDIS, Friendship, Gen, Meddling TARDIS, Original Alien Races
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-10
Updated: 2017-05-11
Packaged: 2018-09-23 07:43:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9646802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkSideoftheLoon/pseuds/DarkSideoftheLoon
Summary: Rose and the Doctor stumble upon a planet, whose landscape seems to be created and recreated solely by the will of it's inhabitants. But the Doctor does not believe in paradise. And he is soon to be proved right.





	1. The Secret Garden

**Author's Note:**

> This story is not really ingenious, but it is the kind of episode I always enjoyed the most: a mysterious alien race, an even more mysterious mystery and the Doctor saving the day. Well, maybe this time he needs a little help from Rose. :)

“So, where to now?`”  
Lights blinked, cogwheels whirred, plasma-thingummies sloshed invisibly in their mysterious containers. The Doctor flipped a few switches, stopped for a moment and then brought the hammer down on the control with forceful precision. While the engines of the Tardis quietened down to a content humming, the Doctor turned to Rose expectantly.  
“Well, I don’t know”, answered Rose. “It is quite a difficult decision to make.”  
“Should we fix a few parameters?, queried the doctor eagerly.  
“Would that make it any easier?”, snorted Rose. “After all the planets we visited only in the last two weeks I don’t even know if I could say it should be hot or cold. Or both at the same time like two days ago.”  
“Yes”, conceded the Doctor. “That was a bit weird, wasn’t it?”  
“How is that even possible?”  
“Oh, it is quite simple, really. The planet is placed right on top of a time distortion. But instead of being ripped apart by the time streams as they should have been, the planet and all its inhabitants have learned to live with a constant phase-shift. It shouldn’t be too difficult to do, it’s just like breathing in and out at the same time. Come to think of it, they would be amazing at playing the didgeridoo...”  
“Doctor...?”  
“What, what? I thought you were about to decide. I’m just making conversation until...”  
“Doctor”, Rose repeated, a little louder this time. “There is something coming out of the control-panel....”  
The Doctor stared. Just between a row of rainbow coloured levers and something that looked like an ancient doorbell, there was something growing out of the surface. At first it looked like the upper half of a glittering tardis-blue ball the size of an orange. But as it rose, it flattened at the sides and turned out to be supported by a thick, rubbery stem. When it had reached the height of about four inches it popped a couple of light blue glowing spots on it’s top, which began to spin around itself very slowly.  
Rose and the Doctor advanced cautiously.  
“It’s a mushroom,”, Rose finally whispered, apparently unwilling to believe she just said that. “a dancing mushroom.”  
The Doctor did not answer. He kept staring broodingly at the little object. Suddenly he slapped his forehead, smiled his disconcertingly happy smile and whirled Rose around.  
“Of course!”, he cried. “ I completely forgot, I installed it myself. It’s the silent anomaly-detector!”  
Rose blinked. “The silent anomaly-detector?”  
“Yes!”  
“Growing out of your Tardis?”  
“Ingenious, isn’t it? It’s always good to provide for further regenerations without taking up too much space.”  
“But what anomalies does it detect?”  
The Doctor shrugged. He had already turned to his screen and was merrily typing away on his keyboard.  
“ Oh, you know, anomalies.”, he told Rose. “The universe is infinite, so it would be stupid to look for known anomalies. This way is much better. It can detect everything and anything.”  
“But this way you don’t even know what it is you have discovered.  
“Yes!”, beamed the Doctor. “Isn’t it marvellous? Ah, here we are.”  
The doctor led Rose to the screen.  
“It’s a planet”, said Rose. After a while she felt compelled to add. “It looks normal enough. I mean except for all the other planets all around it.”  
“Yes”, agreed the Doctor. “Seventeen moons for an inhabited planet this size is quite impressive. But this can’t be the only weird thing about it.”  
Rose smiled. “Well, there is only one way to find out.”

 

The doors of the Tardis creaked as the Doctor and Rose stepped out into an ocean of lush vegetation. All around them medium sized trees spread their branches, climbing plants wound their way to a better place in the sun and complicatedly shaped flowers spread their perfume. It was like standing in the rainforest, only that no plant was higher than two or three feet over their heads. Also there were neat footpaths crisscrossing around the landscape.  
“Well, at least everything seems to be well organized around here.” The Doctor inspected the ground around the plants. “Very well organized”, he added. “The ground looks like it is kept by a gardener. No tiny weeds, no rotting leaves. It is like a giant hothouse. But outside. And gigantic.”  
Rose had left the Doctor to his, as he would probably call it, scientific research and had started to stroll around the footpaths. After a few bends she stopped and called out: “Doctor! I found something.” When the Doctor ran to her side he saw it too.  
Apparently they were standing on a sort of plateau overlooking a valley. There was a path leading into the valley beneath them, wide enough to be called a street. Following the street the vegetation grew smaller and even more orderly. And at the end of the street, in the middle of the valley, stood an enormous pyramid built of bright red stone.  
“it looks Mayan”, said Rose. “How can it look Mayan?”  
“Everything is possible.”  
“How convenient”  
“Well it is.”  
“For someone who thinks he is so smart and knows the way of the universes, you do sometimes make it a little too easy for yourself. You could at least try to explain it. You know. By talking a lot fo scientific nonsense and confusing me even more.“  
“Well I think...” But what the Doctor thought remained a mystery, because at this very moment they both noticed a small figure running up the path into their direction. As the slim shape didn’t appear to be threatening in any way, they waited until she reached their spot. It was indeed a she, a petite girl clad in what appeared to be several layers of multicoloured drapes. She panted for a little while, but seemed to recover quite quickly. After a short pause she smiled at them and said: “Welcome to Arikeeya. The Ta’ag awaits you.”


	2. The Council of Arikeeya

When they reached the Pyramid, they realized that the long row of stairs leading to the top were just for show. Too high to be actually climbed, the stairs began right over a comparatively modest door frame made of stone, through which they stepped. Now they walked slowly through a vast straight tunnel. At the very end of it, bright light Faint forms and figures decorated walls, floor and ceiling, like the muddy finger paintings of a giant.

"So, we are going to meet the council in there?", asked Rose.

"The rest of the council, yes", smiled the girl.

Rose stared unbelievingly. "Are you trying to say that you...? I mean are you part of the..." Rose paused expectantly.

"Yes.", said the girl. " I am the youngest of the four Council members. Although I started a bit late, really. Normally they choose you when you're fourteen of fifteen. I'm seventeen and I was only chosen half a year ago. Uh, and I'm Meróo. Meróo, that's my name. I didn't tell you that did I?" She smiled nervously. Rose smiled back. The Doctor overtook them both, bumping into them, lay down on the floor and inspected the ceiling.

"So", said Rose, trying to signal the doctor surreptitiously to stop irritating people. "You have a very interesting...uhm forest."

"Thank you, I made it myself.", answered Meróo, momentarily distracted. "Well of course not all by myself. But I thought up a few new plants and thought, well, I never liked forests to loom over you like they were going to eat you. So I reckoned, why not make it a bit smaller, a bit nicer to look at. Naturally I couldn't get the flowers right, so Puvsa helped me out on that. And of course I forgot to put any paths into it, so I almost didn't get out. But of course Brakan had figured it out long before I started and the paths showed up right in time before I was all covered in creepers." She giggled nervously.

"Wait a minute." Rose stopped, her brows furrowed. The Doctor had stood up again and was scratching stone dust off the wall. The hind part of Rose's brain prayed that he would not taste it. "Made it? Showed up? What do you mean?"

"Oh come now Rose, it's not that difficult." Both girls jumped. Somehow the Doctor had managed to get behind them without them noticing it. He stared at them with the expression of a sulky child. "This people obviously have the ability to form the planet's surface, or even more. They probably do it together by some kind of psychic link or other. Am I right?"

The Doctor stared at Meróo, who couldn't help stepping back.

"Yes..um...yes, right.", she stuttered.

"Right. So while we could all stand here babbling on about terraforming, which is in no way important enough for the Tardis to come here about, we should definitely start with the interesting part. So." The Doctor's face came very close to Meróos, whose eyes widened. The Doctor smiled broadly. "Who told you we were coming?"

"How long exactly can it take to lead guests through an entrance?"

A piercing female voice carried across the tunnel. Apparently there were things more frightening than the Doctor, because Meróo immediately pulled herself together and beckoned her guests urgently to follow her. They went through the doorway arch into a sort of ante-room. The ceiling, painted with a blue and gold leaf pattern painted on the bare stone, formed a dome high above them. Several pillar-supported arches led to other corridors. A tall woman stood before them. Her long black hair, braided in a complicated way, fell down her back. She was slim and her proud bearing made her look even taller. Her eyes were cold and calculating as she addressed Meróos again.

"Aren't you going to introduce our guests to us?", she drawled.

"Yes, of course.", Meróo hurried to comply. "Yes this is.. oh.."

" I am Rose", Rose jumped in, because she saw the black-haired woman's left eyebrow rise dangerously high. "And this is the Doctor. We are very pleased to meet you. Aren't we, Doctor."

"Thrilled." The Doctor smiled his wide, disconcerting smile.

"I am Taleena", the woman said grandly. She shot a short, but meaningful glance towards Meróo.

The girl jumped to attention.

"Taleena, the thriving one. She is the first member of our council. It is her who makes us all work together and makes certain that all our ideas come true."

"Probably the manager.", the Doctor whispered to Rose. "Shush", she responded.

Apparently a kind of ritual has been set in motion, because the moment Meróo had ended her description, a man came out of one of the arches. He was not particularly fat, but he was quite small and had the look of a man who had been pushed relentlessly down on the head until his whole body had yielded and rearranged itself to its new size.

"Puvsa", Meróo intoned. "The meticulous one."

Puvsa bowed deeply.

" I am o...o... honoured by the hch... ha... high presence of our gu ... g... guests." He smiled a timid little smile.

A third person appeared. It was a man, over six foot high and broad in the shoulders. He was more than middle aged but still had the air of hidden power about him. His long flowing robes couldn't hide his slight stomach. He nodded to the Doctor and to Rose.

"Brakan", Meróon announced loudly. "The foreseeing one."

Then she felt silent. The other apparent members of the council stared at Rose and the Doctor expectantly, showing, after some time, varying degrees of mild impatience.

"So. ", the Doctor said. "Now that we are all introduced and very cosy and friendly, don't you think it is time to take us to this mysterious person who has been expecting us? Ta'ag, wasn't it? It is not forbidden to see him, is it?"

" _She_ ", Taleena corrected the Doctor coldly. "has indeed explicitly asked for your presence the moment you would arrive. If you would care to follow me." She motioned a languid hand in the direction of one arch.

"The Doctor's presence alone is required. ", she continued as Rose was about to follow them.

"Can't be helped Rose", the Doctor said eagerly, as Rose looked at the Doctor disappointedly. "this Ta'ag person seems to be extremely secretive. Isn't that fascinating. Go have a look at the garden, there's a good girl." And he was gone.

"Good girl." Rose grumbled. But she saw that the Doctor wouldn't let anything keep him from his new experience. Not even her.

"I _could_ show you the garden." Meróon's small voice appeared at Rose's elbow. Rose looked up. Confronted with a face so eager and so nervous at the same time she couldn't go on sulking anymore.

"I would love to see it.", she smiled.

Meróon almost did a little jig, remembered her position, bowed in the direction of the remaining council and took Rose unceremoniously by the hand.


	3. The Navel of Kowlas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, I'll try updating more frequenttly from now on.   
> Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments.

Taleena probably had practiced a kind of airy gesture for this moment, meant to show the visitor that he is supposed to enter alone while all the same stressing the point that this did not mean at all that she, Taleena, was not permitted or, perish the thought, not _required_. Alas, the certainly exquisite movement of her white hand was completely lost on the Doctor, who strode past her, almost bursting with curiosity.

The room before him looked indeed like the inner sanctum of a temple. All the same it was too small to be impressive. The room suggested to the visitor that he was captured inside a cube, not small enough to cause claustrophobia, but narrow enough to feel restricted. The giant stone seat at the far end of the room seemed to take up almost all the space. On the chair sat a petite woman, her red robe flowing around her with only a broad belt revealing her narrow waist, her dark eyes contrasting with her white skin and fair hair. She looked at the Doctor, who was not able to make out any kind of expression in her face, may it be benevolent or not.

He couldn't help himself and spoke first.

"The Ta'ag, I presume.", he ventured.

A miniscule smile appeared on the mask-like face.

"Precisely. It is my title as well as my name. For my office is created without, though for myself."

"It pleases you to talk in riddles, Ta'ag. A fitting habit all the same if you a soothsayer, though. So: Are you a soothsayer?"

"I foresaw your coming and you came, now I see you. So to establish wether I am indeed a "truth"-seer I may well ask you: Are you truly here?"

The Doctor grinned.

"Well said. Now, as I am a mysterious man myself I must say that being cryptic doesn't necessarily mean that you are wise. All you're doing is making your conversation partner feel that he is unable to understand you. But by talking nonsense you can keep other people from understanding you, too. So why don't you tell me what you want to tell me."

Now the Ta'ag 's smile became broader.

"I appreciate a learned man", she said. "You must forgive a woman, for it is lonely at the top and witty repartee is not appreciated in a Ta'ag when council is required. All the same I saw you coming long before your feet have touched our planet's crust. A wanderer you are, out of your time, as I am."

"Out of your time?", the Doctor asked. " Are you saying, that you don't belong here?"

"Oh no", the Ta'ag quickly answered. "This is my planet and my rightful place. But I wasn't here when it was built, though it was built for me."

The Doctor frowned. "You are talking riddles again, Ta'ag. What are you saying?"

The Ta'ag looked directly in the Doctor's eyes. "I myself ordered that a temple should be erected on this very place. Then I went back to my cave to contemplate and die. That was three-thousand years ago."

Rose couldn't believe her ears.

"Three thousand years? Do you normally live that long?"

"Oh no, ", Meróon exclaimed, "On the contrary. The oldest inhabitant I know about lived to be 51, but barely."

"Then how did she do it?", asked Rose, completely at a loss.

They were walking through the garden in front of the pyramid. It was indeed an exquisite collection of plants whose scents filled the air.

"It is a mystery", Meóon answered. "Three thousand years ago the great Ta'ag came from the other side of the planet. She knew a lot about the people, although she never saw them before. She told them to use the power of the planet wisely and gave council to the keepers of the secrets. Just before she left she told our ancestors that they should build a temple on top of the Navel of Kowlas to honour him. Then she went back to the cave she used to live in and let the door be closed with stones. She said it was time for her to listen to the voice of Kowlas forever. Everybody assumed she must have died, but only a year back somebody told us that the cave was opening. And out she came in all her glory, asking us what time it is." Meóon laughed.

Rose frowned. "What is a Kowlas?"

Meróon hesitated for a moment. "It is... well the Kowlas is... the planet, if you so will. All we can do, all the power we have comes with the Kowlas. "

"You mean you can't do all this ... mind thing all by yourselves?", asked Rose.

"Oh no", said Meróon. "Well in a way we do manage it ourselves, but we feel that the nearer we are to the Navel the more powerful our thoughts will get."

Rose made a face. "The "Navel"?"

"There is a place on the planet where our thoughts are stronger, where we can combine our power much easier. This is where the temple was built years ago, just on top of that very spot. We call it the Navel of Kowlas, because the soul is located in the navel." Meróon fell silent for a moment, then she seemed to reach a decision.

"Would you like to see how it works? The creation, I mean?"

Rose smiled widely: " You can bet I would."

The Doctor nodded sagely.

"So you are a goddess really, you can perform miracles."

The Ta'ag slowly shook her head, smiling quietly. "It was indeed a miracle, but I did not perform it myself. When the door closed I closed my eyes in silent contemplation, feeling my mind drift away in thought. Then I heard stones scraping, I was about to reprimand the workers for being slow, when I saw that the stones had moved on their own accord. I stepped outside and a bewildered man told me that I had been asleep for thousands of years. "

The Doctor looked the Ta'ag directly in the eye and was met with a steady gaze. Whatever this woman was she possessed a strong personality that was hard to make out. Her face gave nothing away while the Doctor felt that he was being probed and his soul searched for signs of faithlessness. After seconds that felt like aeons he broke eye-contact.

"Ok", the Doctor said, quickly returning to his cheery old self again. "So you're in charge now, aren't you? A woman favoured by the gods must at least be made queen, mustn't she?"

The Ta'ag smiled again. "On the contrary. My present position is merely an honorary office. This room, including the throne you see before was merely meant as a shrine to ... well to honour my memory, for lack of a better phrase. This may explain the somewhat constricted interior. They even set the spectre-stones in this belt here." She pointed at the girdle round her waist. She gave a short laugh, it sounded hollow. "Nobody thought that anybody would ever actually wear it. All you see around you is a shrine. I might just as well still be in my cave."

She seemed to be momentarily lost in thought.

"You must be aching to get out of here", the Doctor stated. "Why don't you show me the surroundings. And while you do that we could have a short peek at that miraculous cave of yours."


	4. The Flower

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thanks for sticking with my story so far.  
> Here it is: a new chapter hot out of my fanfiction oven.

Taleena almost shook with rage. Puvsa had retrated visibly while confronted with her outburst, his already small figure seemed to shrink even more.

"This... person. ", Taleena hissed. "He who calls himself Doctor. He has no respect, no knowledge of our history. The Thriving One has to guide the steps of the visitor. He can't just go in there on his own. And now he _talks_ to her. Without supervision. He is alone with the Ta'ag." Her last words were a mere whisper, compressed by sheer emotion.

"B-b-but" Puvsa dared to add. "The T-t-ta'ag, ex-exp-xs...expressively wished to see the nuke-new-newcomer. A-a-alone."

"It is not right.", Taleena snarled. "The Ta'ag is not to blame, never. I must have a word with this Doctor when he comes out. And with his associate." She hesitated. "Where is this girl anyway?"

Puvsa tried to collect his thoughts. This was always a difficult task for him when confronted with Taleena. He preferred to think when he was on his own. With some effort he said " I think she went outside with Meróo. To look at the garden, I think."

Taleena now looked ready to burst. "She left the temple while we have a visitor?! The Pyramid only stands when all four corners are present. Doesn't the girl think? Doesn't she care?"

"It's only an old saying", Puvsa mumbled, his eyes fixed on the floor.

The Thriving One gulped for air, ready to inform Puvsa in detail what happend if you forgot the ancient rules. A booming voice stopped her. It was not loud. It was not displeasing to hear, on the contrary. It had the warm vibrations of a church bell far away.

Brakan spoke: "Maybe you should have a look ,Puvsa, if only to be able to tell the Doctor where he might find his companion."

Puvsa made it out of the door, almost too quick to flash a grateful smile at Brakan.

Brakan has been married to Taleena for several years now. He was a man who knew when to keep his mouth shut. He didn't talk a lot.

Taleena fell silent and turned away gruffly. She knew that Brakan only spoke when it was necessary. She swept out of her room, her clothes rustling around her. She knew what had to be done.

Rose was confused. "I thought all of you, I mean your whole people can ... you know, make everything the way you want it to be. Like magic."

Meróo's brow furrowed. "Well, in a way we can. But this is not about making your hair a prettier shade of blonde. We four, the corners of the pyramid, we decide about the future and shape of the whole planet. You couldn't do that on your own. We all have to do our share."

"So Taleena..."

"...The Thriving One, yes. She his the driving force behind all our endeavours. She gives our plans structure and decides about the rules. We would never get anything done without her."

"And the tall one. Broo..."

"Brakan. He imagines what the plans may bring in the future. Every concept can be seriously flawed. Whatever we may think is best, new seasons or a new society of plants could make living on this planet worse unintentionally."

Rose said laughing: " I can't imagine Puvsa having much of a say in these discussions. He barely dares to say a word."

Meróons face became soft. "He may be the most important of us all. He gets the details right. A plant is not just a thing. It is a living instrument. Just imagining it's appearance is not enough. A plant must breathe and drink and grow. Without Puvsa everything we do what just be a pretty but empty shell. He makes things alive by giving them the strength and structure to grown themselves."

"Please don't take this the wrong way."Rose told Meróon ", but you seem to be a bit young to be part of the council"

"On the contrary.", Meróon exclaimed. "Normally it is a child that is the Nusht. It is really difficult to explain. ", she added, confronted with Rose`s expression of mild interest bordering to mad confusion. "I am ... the spark of imagination. The pure idea. Only the young can provide us with thoughts that are not marred by prejudice and misconception."

"But that's unbelievable.",Rose cried. "So this flower, you thought it up all by yourself? " She pointed to a particularly large blossom with pink petals, rimmed with purple, presenting in it's center something that resembled a collection of shimmering pearls. Meróon nodded shyly.

"This is amazing", Rose said, awestruck. "I wish I could do that."

Meróon smiled. "I can show you."

Before Rose could respond, Meróon had knelt down beside her and beckoned her to do the same. She took Rose's hand into both of hers and placed it on the bare black earth. She began to whisper, her voice sounding soft in Rose's ear.

"Kowlas is right beneath your hand. He wants us to grow. He wants the plants to grow. All you have to do is show them the way. Empty your body and your mind of all thoughts but one. You must see the flower in the emptiness, as clear and sharp as you can. Just pull it out of the earth. Can you see your flower?"

Rose wanted to say "Yes", but her mouth wouldn't move. The moment she had shaped an image of a plant she had felt like someone had pinned this thought in her head and let everything else fly away like a frightened flock of birds. Her memories, her thoughts, her body, everything was drifting. All she could feel was the presence of her flower in her head that spun a golden thread to her hand pressed to the ground. A burning circle of force started to pulsate on her palm. While she still felt the crumbly earth under her fingertips the golden coin of fire on her palm jerked her forwards. It pulled her down into the ground, soil exploding all around her, light and shadow, heat and cold changeing so fast that she only felt it when the sensations had already gone. Rose wanted to scream. She closed her eyes in panic.

There was silence.

Rose felt that she had stopped. The burning mark on her palm was still there, but it didn't pull her forward any more. She opened her eyes with trepidation.

In front of her was gold.

She stood in darkness on thin air while an enormous sphere of liquid flowed before her eyes. It was the most beautiful sight Rose had ever seen in all her life. The orb's glow was warm and gentle. She suddenly realised that this was the heart of the planet, the living centre, the father and mother of all life.

Rose's arm was still outstretched. But Kowlas didn't want to force her to make contact. Kowlas waited for her to do it.

She felt tears welling up inside her. The gentle glow made her remember things she couldn't possibly recall. She felt warm and protected like she must have felt as a baby. The planet's aura made her remember the reassuring touch and smell of her mother's skin as she was first laid into her arms. She felt the all-absorbing protection you can never feel again after you left your cradle. She felt accepted, loved and shielded, she felt like she, after falling on the hard ground of growing-up, was comforted by the mother of all life in the universe.

Rose smiled, blinking away the tears of joy and sorrow that merged into a lump in her throat that she never wanted to go away again. She moved her hand and touched the golden surface.

Rose opened her eyes. She was still kneeling on the floor, but Meróon had pulled her hand gently away from the ground. As she wondered what exactly had happend, she realised that something was growing out of the earth in front of her. It pushed away the loose soil, grew a stalk and sprouted leaves and petals.

Meróon examined it with the calculating look of a professional.

"This is not bad, really. I like the colour of the petals. Very blue."

"Yes.", Rose managed, deeply embarrassed.

"No, honestly, I never could have thought up something like that. Four petals, I see, very traditional. And the pattern of the white oblongs is very nice. They almost look like, windows, don't you think so?"

"Um.", Rose said.

"Wait a minute.", Meróon said. "The white square on one of the petals, does it have writing on it? It says "Pub...""

"Forget it.", Rose exclaimed. "My thoughts seem to ... I might have mixed up something in my head.", she finished lamely.

"No matter.", Meróon said graciously. "It was a good effort. Nobody said you had to get all the details right."

Meróon looked up as she saw Puvsa slowly making his way towards the, smiling diffidently. Then there was an explosion of leaves, Puvsa was roughly pushed aside and a Taleena, panting, her hair dishevelled, came to a halt in front of Rose.

"The Ta'ag is not in her chambers.", she screamed. "The Doctor has abducted her. He will pay for that."


	5. The Cave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here it is a new chapter. Feel free to spill your thoughts.

With a spring in his step, anticipating the final answer to his questions, the Doctor listened to the Ta'ag finishing her explanations as they advanced the cave. They had passed rows of flower-fields and equally long rows of huts. The inhabitants of the planet seemed to want to keep close to their place of worship.

"Of course, "the Ta'ag concluded. "Since the creation of the spectre stones, there was no longer any need to join with Kowlas directly. It is so much easier to channel your thoughts through them."

"I just hope they won't mind that you carry them around with you in your belt. Is this the entrance?" Without waiting for the answer the Doctor ducked and slipped into the twilight of the stone. The Ta'ag followed him, trying to gather her skirts to keep them from tripping her up.

" I shouldn't think so,", the Ta'ag smiled. "Also, I am not that far away, am I? Mind your head."

"Ouch. Thank you."

"Ah, here we are."

The stones around them retreated as they entered a room of exactly the same size as the Ta'ag's chamber. Immediately the Doctor produced the screwdriver out of his pocket and started pointing it around wildly. After a few seconds of busy whirring he looked sternly at the instrument and tapped it impatiently against his palm for several times. Then he raised it to his ear with furrowed brow.

" I don't understand.", the Doctor mumbled. "There _is_ something here, but I can't trace it. "

"What are you looking for, Doctor?", he heard the Ta'ag ask behind his turned back.

"There is an anomaly - a time anomaly, I think. It made you disappear and appear again. But I can't..." The Doctor started to mumble to himself

"I don't think I told you what Ta'ag means in the native language." The voice of the Ta'ag had a far away sound now, she seemed to be completely indifferent to the Doctor's activities. "You had it right the first time, Doctor. It does mean Queen. But I do prefer the word for it in the Earth language..."

Realisation hit the Doctor. He spun around, eyes wide, screwdriver at the ready. Black iron bars rattled down all around him as he stared at a shadow from his past wearing a new face.

"Rani", smiled the Rani.

"You!", the Doctor growled.

"Hello Doctor, it's been a while."

"I thought your own beasts finished you after I defeated you on Lakertya.", the Doctor snapped.

"In my own Tardis?", sneered the Rani. "You never cease to underestimate me. VCIP - Voice control incineration protocol. I had the control room cleared in 3.5 seconds. Of course it cost me a body, but I think blonde is rather exciting, too. What do you think?"

"What do you want?", asked the Doctor, while surreptitiously trying to test the strength of his cage. Unfortunately the bars seemed solid enough. "There is nothing here for you on this planet. The only interesting thing was the anomaly I detected and the readings the TARDIS picked up came from.."

"...her sister. My TARDIS. Precisely. Oh, you are smart Doctor. Unfortunately theses simple people who inhabit this planet are far from it. It has never been so easy to become a saint. I set my TARDIS to land a few hundred years ago, talk mysterious rubbish and retire to my humble cave. And then, surprise surprise, up I crop again, all confused about my whereabouts. It is almost too simple – and you can stop trying your screwdriver on the bars. It is double-phased metal. A screwdriver can't neither trace nor disintegrate it, so don't waste your energy.'"

"But why bother? ", asked the Doctor grudgingly. "When they are so simple here, why don't you leave them alone? I agree, there is nothing more boring than a people united with their planet in harmony, but there is no weird experiment you can conduct here."

The Rani stepped closer to the bars. She whispered: "Did you see the constellation, when you arrived? Seventeen moons..."

"... but no sun." The Doctor fell silent. After a while he said quietly: "This planet is more than it appears to be."

"Precisely." The Rani's eyes gleamed. "It is no planet at all. It is some kind of intelligent matter with the gravity of a black hole. But instead of destroying everything it attracts, it seems to have built itself a shell complete with satellites to mime a planet."

"But why should it...", the Doctor stopped. "Of course. It made itself a home for those who inhabit it. Somehow a spaceship with humanoid occupants must have come near it. And the matter reacted to the wishes of the refugees."

"Yes, yes, whatever. Now we come to the interesting part.", the Rani interrupted. "These stupid people don't know how to keep direct contact with the planet any more. They need this. " She tapped the spectre stones, neatly set in her belt. "So what do you think will happen when I take these little trinkets out of their reach?"

"You wouldn't dare!", shouted the Doctor, pushing wildly against the bars. "You don't know what could happen!"

The Rani gave the Doctor a pitiful glance. "Of course I do know. When I take the spectre stones out of reach and into orbit, the link will snap. Subsequently there are two possible outcomes. One: The planet will be momentarily paralysed but it's surface and everything on it will disintegrat the moment someone tries to make contact with the core. Two: The matter will try to reach out for the stones,, it's only means of communication, and pull the moons and any space debris that happens to be about towards it, right onto the unsuspecting surface. Either way this ridiculous and unnatural arrangement will come to an end and the pure energy will be free and at my disposal. Think of the opportunities. With this kind of energy, separated and placed at strategic points, you could move whole solar systems; change the face of the universe. Introduce order into the chaos."

"Listen", the Doctor said softly. "This is a sentient life form. You would not only kill innumerable people, you would also destroy a till now unknown creature. You can't do this."

"You are just no fun anymore." The Rani touched a stone, which immediately turned into the familiar pyramid shape of her TARDIS, whose chameleon circuit apparently had no technological difficulties. "Come to think of it – you never were any fun at all. Every time I tell you of a new opportunity you spoil it with unconstructive nonsense. Honestly, you are not very adventurous are you? Well, I have to go now. I envy you the opportunity to witness the deconstruction of an entire planet from close range...almost."

The Doctor saw her stepping in her TARDIS. On the threshold she turned once more and smiled. "Good bye, Doctor"

The Engines of the TARDIS sprang into life. To the sound of the familiar rhythmic huffing the Doctor stared at the vanishing shape. Then there was silence. The Rani was gone and the Doctor thought he felt a silent tremor of terrible realisation run through the planet's crust.


	6. Before the Storm

Rose quickened her step. Fortunately she has been able to convince the upset priestess that the Doctor solely happened to go out with the Ta'ag and was not, whatever the initial impression might suggest, in fact a criminal. Nevertheless she thought it a good idea to go find the Doctor as soon as she could. Heaven knows what Taleena would come up with next if she did not. Meróon had instructed her where the Cave was to be found but chose to stay and support Puvsa in his efforts to calm Taleena down.

Now she was alone again, flickers of the overwhelming feelings she experienced while contacting the planet came back to her. She had tried to express her sentiments to Meróon. She asked whether you always touched the planet when you created a new thing. Meróon had been rather confused, although the efforts of convincing Taleena of a different point of view might have added to her predicament.

"The planet?", she had asked, puzzled, while Taleena had been screaming at the top of her voice. "You mean the spectre stones. You see the spectre stones appearing in front of your eyes, don't you?" Before Rose had been able to reply Meróons attention had already been drawn away again.

"Well,", Rose told herself as she climbed through the narrow entrance of the cave. "I can ask her about later it, can't I?"

"Doctor?" she called, while she approached the dimly lit centre of the cave. "Are you there?"

"Rose!"

The Doctor's voice sounded strained and relieved at the same time. Worry rising inside her Rose hurried in. Then she stopped, transfixed by the sight that unfolded in front of her eyes.

"Rose, it's so good to see you. " The Doctor was pacing restlessly, making use of his narrow space of movement by going round in circles, now and then bashing at the bars. "It was the Rani, you know. Did I tell you about the Rani? Old schoolfriend, well I wouldn't say friend and it wasn't exactly a school. Not as such. Well in a way. The point is this is double-phased metal, morphing steel, if you will. It continuously changes its morphological structure. That means I cannot even scan it with my screwdriver, let alone analyse it or, the very idea, disintegrate it. My sonic screwdriver is useless, can you imagine that?"

"Doctor you are rambling. And you are..."

"No, Rose, I'm not rambling. I'm sitting in a cage. A cage, Rose. Like one of her lab-rats. She probably thinks this is funny. And there is nothing to stop her now from destroying us all."

"Doctor!"

"And I, the only person who has even the remote chance to stop her was outfoxed by the Rani. Trapped in a cage!"

"Doctor!", Rose screamed. "What are you talking about? There is no cage!"

Silence fell.

The Doctor frowned.

"What?"

"There is no cage.", Rose repeated. "I don't know what you're going on about. You are just going round in circles, what is wrong?"

"What is wrong with _you_ ?" The Doctor banged against the bars with the palm of his hand. "Doesn't this look solid to you?" A thought flashed through his mind. "Have you met the Rani? There is some kind of timelord hypnosis, that..."

Rose stepped forward, her arm outstretched, and whipped the air in front of the Doctor. Her hand went right through the bars... which weren't there. It was like seeing a rainbow disappear in the sky. The image faded away, quickly and slowly at the same time. While the Doctor still distinctly remembered shape and colour the picture in front of his eyes dissolved into nothingness.

He stared.

Then, slowly, the Doctor raised his hand to the back of his neck. There was a small raised dot on his skin, like the bite of a tiny insect.

Rose finally dared to come closer and touched the Doctor's shoulder.

"Are you all right?", she asked with trepidation.

The Doctor remembered. While he had been scanning the room, the Rani had been standing right behind him. He had not even paid her any attention.

"Timelord hypnosis.", he sighed, patting Rose's hand absentmindedly. "It works on most other races, but not on our own kind. It takes a powerful inhibitor to get round a timelord's mental defence mechanisms. The Ranis seems to have injected me with a dosage while...", he cringed at the ridiculousness of the situation. "...while my back was turned. After that she could make me believe anything. "

The Doctor smiled a weak smile. "It is quite clever really. The only way to beat someone is to convince him he is already beaten."

Suddenly the Doctor raised his head again, his eyes sparkling, his face gleaming with his old self assurance again. Rose instinctively took a step back.

"On the other hand.", he said. "This means that the Rani is not expecting any more meddling from my side." He put the palms of his hands together and pressed his index fingers to his lips, thinking hard.

"But you said the Rani was gone.", Rose stated.

"Yes she is, isn't she.", the Doctor mumbled through his fingers, his eyes darting while his mind raced. "But... _But_ , all I have to do is follow her. I know where she is. She told me she would try to get the spectre stones beyond the reach of the planet."

"She stole the spectre stones?", gasped Rose. "Doesn't that mean..."

"Yes, yes", the Doctor conceded." The planet will be destroyed and all its inhabitants with it. But the main point is, she left in her TARDIS. That means I can follow her trail with my own. As simple as that."

"Then let's go, shall we?", Rose said, confused but fully motivated.

"O no.", the Doctor said. "I'm sorry Rose, but no. The Rani is a dangerous being and you are just another person I have to look after. I'm sorry.", he reiterated, faced with Rose's hurt look.", but this is final. You go back and try to calm down the residents. Tell them not to worry. In fact, it is crucial that they don't."

"This really is a lame attempt to make me stay. Stop them from worrying?"

"No, this is serious." The Doctor looked Rose earnestly and rested his hands on her shoulders. "These people hold the planet together. The ground we are standing on is only there because a handful of humanoid beings is convinced that everything is as it should be. Shake this believe and everything around you, including your little girl friend, will fall into pieces."


	7. The Jigsaw

The Doctor tumbled all over the control fields. He could barely stabilize himself as the Tardis's metal beams above him groaned and the ground vibrated with the strain.

"Nearly there, nearly there. Poor thing, we're almost there. Just a few seconds more"

The Doctor haphazardly stroked the parts of the control field he could touch without being knocked off his feet and bounced around the walls. With a final electrical wail and a deafening boom the Tardis stopped with only a forlorn but nevertheless annoyed bleeping of one single control light left blinking. The Doctor dragged himself to a switch and flipped it. All sound had stopped, around him the light had become yellow and gloomy.

"I certainly hope that wasn't too much for you. But you're a strong girl, aren't you, you can handle a bit of a bumpy ride can't you?"

The Tardis remained silent.

The Doctor knew that what he had just done was virtually impossible and never had been tried before. The protective fields of the Tardises should have equalled each other out in a sudden, hot and quite explosive way. Landing a Tardis in another Tardis would be like trying to land a party cruiser inside the helm of another one in Venice during a thunderstorm. So while it could not be done it was also extremely difficult.

Well, the Doctor told himself, what do they know, and pushed open the door.

"Ah, Doctor."

The Doctor had managed to land exactly where he had wanted to end up, in the control room. It had been some time since he has last seen it before. But of course she must have regenerated since then.

"You have redecorated.", the Doctor said, following the ancient protocol of the Timelords when meeting again. "I don't like it."

" I thought you wouldn't", the Rani responded. "I just made a fascinating scientific discovery, do you want to hear about it?"

"Are you not interested in how I saw through your face with the imaginary bars?"

"Not really, no.", the Rani conceded. "It was a bright little idea, but certainly not one of my best. I will make a note in my diary. Anyway, did you have a look at the so called spectre stones?"

"Yes I did, they are stones, very fascinating.", the Doctor said, aggrevated that the Rani took the initiative and spoiled a good entrance and an impressive speech full of gravitas and moral accusations.

"No, you must really look at them."

The Doctor stared. The realisation dawned.

"These are cerebral clusters. Old Earth Technology, the collected history of Earth comprised in copies of human memories. How did they end up here?"

"We made a terrible mistake. How unscientific of us both, you should be ashamed of yourself. You should never make assumptions and jump to conclusions unless you are in possession of all the facts. There was still one question that could not be explained..."

"How could the original inhabitants land on the planet, when the planet only formed to suit their needs."

"Precisely!", the Rani rejoiced, flipping a few tiny levers on her control in excitement. "There were not people at all. Did you not wonder why they looked all human?"

"And why the architecture looked strangely familiar..." The Doctor stopped, deep in thought.

"The Middle-American colony on Procyceea II.", he mumbled. " It was completely destroyed by a meteor strike, all inhabitants currently staying on the planet were lost. But cerebral clusters are immensely strong, made to survive and retain the memory."

"So you see?", the Rani jeered. "And you told me I would wipe out an entire species. Nonsense. They do not exist. They have never existed at all. This stupid entity made a few copies from what he found on the clusters. Like a kid doing a jigsaw, assembling the pieces so it matches the picture. It made itself some pets." The Rani almost burst with schadenfreude.

It took a little while until the Doctor could take this in. Then he said: "But you would still kill a scentient creature. And Rose, come to think of it."

"Ah,", purred the Rani. "You are another one to keeps himself some pets. I'm sure you will stumble over some other stray human that needs to be taken care of. Don't worry."

The Doctor tried to keep his voice calm, rage bubbling up inside of him.

"I can still make that right. Give me back the spectre stones,", he growled.

"Take them", the Rani said offhandedly, tossing the belt towards the Doctor, who caught it.

The Doctor scanned them with his screwdriver. He sagged.

"You deleted the memory.", he said silently.

"Correct. Well done. And now you will leave for the planet. Or at least your Tardis will."

Immediately the Doctor heard the unmistakable sounds of his Tardis restarting and the hissing, coughing grumble of her takeoff.

"What have you done?", the Doctor screamed, running towards his beloved spaceship.

"I am expelling your Tardis from mine, as simple as that. You didn't seriously think that I would let you park wherever you want to. Now you may leave with your Tardis and die. Or you may stay with me... and die more creatively."

The Doctor moved with lightening speed. He pushed the Rani away from the controls, typed feverishly a series of complicated numbers into the board, pulled down a red double-lever and threw himself against the readily opeing Tardis doors. As they closed, he could hear the sinister gong of the Cloister Bell. But it didn't come from his Tardis. The Rani screamed.


	8. Cracks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. Hope everyone is doing well.

Rose looked out of the high windows overlooking the landscape. Well in fact, they could not possibly be windows, or glass or something even remotely like it. She stood on the highest storey of the pyramid looking through the stone as if it were glass. She could see the four walls of the building forming the top over her head while looking at the immaculately blue sky. Rose was thankful that at least the floor looked exactly as stone was supposed to look. It was probably a science thing the Doctor could easily explain. The Doctor.

"Rose?"

Rose spun around and looked into the timid face of Méroon. She seemed taken aback by Rose's expression so Rose composed herself and forced a smile.

"It's all right. Don't worry. The Doctor will come."

"I don't even know what is going on", moaned Méroon. "The Ta'ak an impostor, the earth is shaking and the Doctor is gone doing I don't know what..."

"Don't worry", Rose reiterated, somehow getting more confident the more she tried to convince Méroon. She knew the Doctor better than they did, perhaps better than anyone else. She trusted him. She knew he would come and save everybody, he always did. He will come.

"He will come", she repeated quietly, more to herself than to anyone else.

The earth shook again, through the walls Rose could see parts of the forest sinking in as the ground shifted. Then she felt a small hand slowly slipping into hers. Rose softly squeezed Meróons hand and they stood quietly, side by side – waiting.

Both ducked instinctively as the crash behind them happened. The TARDIS had landed, but she had not appeared as usual, standing still, but had retained momentum, enough to crash into the walls. Thousands of tiny shards of semi-visible brick cascaded around the spaceship as it smashed to a halt, spitting out a coughing and smoking Doctor out of its doors.

"Doctor!", Rose exclaimed, trying to support the Timelord struggling to get on his feet. "What happened, I..."

"Quiet!", snapped the Doctor, coughing copiously and pushing himself up. In an instant he was beside the confused Méroon and held the screwdriver at her left temple.

"I'm sorry", the Doctor mumbled as the girl grew stiff and stared blankly into space.

"What have you done?", screamed Rose, rushing to the side of her friend.

"I put her on standby. This kind of matter is easily confused. It will buy us some time. The last thing we need is her realising what is going to happen. It would bring the end sooner than we want."

"What are you talking about?"

"She is not real, Rose. None of this is real. She, the council, this whole world is just matter comprised into a picture this planet found on the stones." He pulled the spectre stones out of his pocked, waved them in front of Rose's nose and flung them into a corner.

"The planet did not only create the environment, it created everything. All the "humans" you met are just matter, made to appear alive by an overzealous sentient being. The connection snapped, all we have now is the conviction of these people that everything is all right. As soon as their believe shakes, this world will evaporate and no other world can come."

"Is there nothing we can do? Can't we stop it, can't we go into the TARDIS and..."

The Doctor shook his head sadly.

"The TARDIS is wrecked. This trip took more out of her than I though. We can't go anywhere anymore."

Slowly the Doctor raised his hand to Rose's cheek and looked her in the eyes.

"I'm just glad I could be here with you, before the end. I'm sorry. There is nothing I can do."

Tears welled up in Roses eyes, but she smiled nevertheless and reached for the Doctor's hand holding her cheek.

They heard a faint clink behind them and turned.

"No, don't touch that!", the Doctor shouted. But it was too late. Puvsa had come in and had picked up the specre stones, his face distorted with horror and confusion.

"Wh...wh... what", he stuttered. "Th...th...the...sp...s..pp...spectre..s..."

"No.", the Doctor said quietly. "It is starting."

"What is...", Rose started, but then she saw.

Puvsa looked at his hands. He had begun to glow from within. What first looked like light to became apparent to be fine threads of gold, criss crossing all over his skin and clothes, making up his shape. Slowly they joined to form thicker threads until Puvsa's shape started to become partly see-through. Unable to speak he stared at the Doctor and Rose.

At this moment Taleena and Braken entered the room, apparently alarmed by the commotion. Before they were able to speak, Brakan stopped in mid-stride. His eyes widened and with a last glance at Taleena he, too, started to glow.

"What are you doing to them", Taleena screamed, her eyes filled with tears as she looked at the disintegrating form of her husband. "Murderer, murderer, bring him back, bring him..."

Then she fell silent, too.

"It is almost over", the Doctor said quietly.

Rose looked around her. Not only Méroon and Taleena had started to resembled nothing more than an invisible shape covered over and over in golden string. It was also happening to the room around them. The floor beneath their feet had become a flat surface nerved with criss-crossing threads. –Rose turned to look outside and saw the whole landscape, every tree, every blade of grass glowing and reducing itself to a few strands of light.

The Doctor and Rose held hands as they stood on the silently vanishing surface, waiting for the world around them to disintegrate.


	9. The Spark of Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with the story. Soon there will be the thrilling conclusion...

Rose opened her eyes. She had closed them, not wanting to see how exactly it would look when she disintegrated from the inside of her eyes. But the world stayed.

The collapse seemed to have stopped. Everything around them was covered in the mysterious glowing filigree. Complete silence surrounded her and the Doctor. And yet they were still here.

Both of them stood in silence for some time. Then Rose ventured: "What exactly are we standing on?"

" I don't know, precisely.", answered the Doctor, still looking straight ahead.

"But we have to stand on something. Although we can't stand on anything, can we? There is just glowing stuff with nothing in between."

"Aptly stated.", the Doctor mumbled, his eyes fixed on the non-existent horizon.

"You're not afraid, are you Doctor?", Rose inquired, a lopsided grin daring to invade her horrified expression.

"Rose," The Doctor said as if to a child. "Logically speaking we cannot exist anymore. I'm only contemplating the possibility of an afterlife that freezes the last moment of our being and stretches it into infinity, leaving the occupants of this state eternally confused. A state, incidentally, nearer to hell than anything I might have encountered."

"What is that?"

"What?"

" _That_!"

The Doctor lifted his eyes from the random dot of darkness he had chosen for inspection only to look at Rose in a pitying way.

"Rose, there can't be anything, we... Rose, are you out of your mind, come back here this instant!"

Rose had left the Doctor's side and was already running towards something invisible to the Doctor.

"Damn, damn, damn, damn.", the Doctor snarled between clenched teeth, his eyes shut tightly. Then at last he set off, trying to prevent himself to watch where he was stepping while trying to get to Rose.

Rose was kneeling down.

"Look, Doctor!"

"I'm most definitely not looking at the non-existing floor, thank you very much."

"Doctor, stop being childish. Look, it's my flower!"

The Doctor forced himself to look down.

Rose was right, it was a flower. Being the only thing with colour and distinct shape it stood out from the glowing threads around them. With its roots intact it seemed to float in midair, rocking slightly to the touch of Rose's finger.

"It is real, isn't it? Why is it the only thing that survived? I swear it is the flower I made with the help of the planet. It really is ridiculously shaped, but don't you think considering..."

"Rose!"

Rose almost screamed as the Doctor picked her up and swung her around, oblivious of the just before uttered dangers of non-existent grounds. She couldn't help laughing as she saw the Doctor's expression, hopeful and enraptured as it always was, when he was stricken by an idea.

"What? What?", she cried, "What did I do?"

"You made contact with the planet?", the Doctor said, gripping her shoulders and looking her deeply in the eye. "You... created something?"

"Yes", Rose quavered. "Yes, I told you, but it wasn't anything special."

"Oh yes it was!", the Doctor shouted. "You created a direct link. Something no crystals or whatever could do. You talked directly to the planet, which means you can do it again."

"To do what?"

"To save us."

Rose was silent for a moment.

"You mean recreate the surface and bring back all the other people?

"What people?", the Doctor asked.

"What do you mean, what people, we just talked to them. Meróon and Puvsa and all the others..."

"Rose look", the Doctor said. "Those "people" are a mistake. They are not natural. The planet did them for itself, we shouldn't meddle with something like that, it is too complicated. They are not even really alive."

"Not alive?", Rose shouted, stepping back from the Doctor. "Now listen here Doctor, I happen to be the go-to-person for creation here. So you might as well leave it to me who or what I create and recreate. Now would you please step back so I can save my friends?"

The Doctor, taken aback, indeed did as he was asked.

Rose kneeled down and closed her eyes. She breathed out slowly, listening to the sound of air finding its way out of her lungs, how it seemed to take forever. She suppressed the nagging question where this air might come from. She ignored her thoughts that told her there was no ground and laid her hands down on the planet's surface. She could feel it. She pressed her hands down gently and felt the earth beneath her fingers. Rose smiled and fell forward.

When she opened her eyes again she saw Kowlas once more. An inexplicable feeling told her that the giant ball of gold looked sad and fearful. Once again she raised her hand and tears welled up in her eyes. But now it was different. Now she felt their positions reversed. Compassion for this lonely creature filled her heart. She held out a comforting hand, trying to embrace the core that filled her vision.

"It's all right", Rose whispered. "You will never be lonely again."

She felt a burst of energy waving through her as they connected. She felt her mind filling up with all her thoughts and memories. She recalled everything that happened in the past hours and saw it mixing up with everything she had heard, felt and thought in her entire life. A buzzing sound sounded in her ears as her existence, a symphony of sounds, pictures and emotions whirled round in her head until it finally released.

Kowlas roared.

Rose fainted.


End file.
